September 1, 2006

THE BLUE AFTERNOON by William Boyd 5 starsI wouldn't call this book a mystery, it is more of fantastical adventure, crime, adultery and sort of romance set mostly in the early 1900s Philippines, written in flashbacks. The adventure starts from 1936 California when a 30 something female architect learns she is the daughter of a former surgeon, who is half Scottish, part Spanish and part Filipino, in the Philippines. He convinced her to go to Lisbon to find a woman in his past and during the journey narrated his story to the daughter. The love story is told with a man's perspective, not very common, being retold to the reader by his daughter. The fantastical part is the invention of the first flying machine by a Filipino ilustrado, also a doctor of medicine. The crime is a series of brutal murders which at the end was not resolved, you make your own conclusion, I have but won't tell you. The surgeon had an adulterous affair with an American married to a military man fighting the Filipino insurgents. You may consider the affair a love story, whatever. This is the first novel I have read by this author and I love his writing style. In fact I already reserved at the library his new novel coming out next month, Restless.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 1 starA Disney Channel movie about a math/science genius female transfer student from San Diego to Arizona, the reason for the transfer was not explained. It got several 4 and 5 stars at Netflix so I borrowed it. The dvd has an altenative sing along version. It is awful, so many moan inducing moments in the ENTIRE movie. The movie opens with the main characters forced to sing together by their friends in a karaoke teen hangout(?) during the winter school break. The boy, a high school basketball star, and the girl didn't know each other but of course they ended up in the same school, a rip off of the opening in the play/movie Grease. Both actors are mediocre singers and dancers and I cannot understand why they won the lead parts for the high school musical, the main story line. They are also very lousy actors, aarggh. The girl, played by a half Filipina (mother is Chinese/Filipino/Spanish-the usual and father is Irish/native American), I'm sorry to say has very little talent either in singing/dancing as well as acting. Her idea of acting is looking cute and pretty and making terrible facial expressions. Same with the male actor. Double aarrggh. This is what I get for borrowing a DISNEY movie!! I wanted to give it a goose egg rating but I'm feeling generous to the Pinay.